Britain is facing a tough battle in the cyber war against Russian and Chinese disinformation, according to a government-commissioned report set to be released this week.
The report will recommend that ministers remove strict salary caps on cyber experts to safeguard UK democracy.
Agencies like GCHQ are urged to receive more funding to combat threats from leaders like Vladimir Putin who are attempting to sow discord through cyber attacks and fake news.
The report, authored by John Woodcock, also known as Lord Walney, will be published on Tuesday after concerns were raised by security experts about Russia-based groups spreading misinformation on social media.
Cabinet minister Michael Gove is supporting the report and advocating for the full acceptance of its recommendations by No10.
In a related development, Mr. Gove will address the issue of anti-Semitism on the same day as the report’s launch, amidst growing concerns about hate speech in UK universities.
The report’s recommendations could potentially lead to the banning of protest movements like Just Stop Oil and Palestine Action, as revealed by The Sun on Sunday last week.
Currently, highly skilled cyber experts earning £150,000 or more require approval from a senior Treasury minister for their salaries. This has raised concerns about a potential brain drain as these experts are lured away by tech giants like Facebook’s Meta.
To address this issue, the report suggests exempting cyber recruits from this salary approval process.
The Kremlin has been known to use troll factories to manipulate social media and target politicians in the UK and other Western countries.
Earlier this year, Russian groups were exposed for spreading false conspiracy theories about the health of the Princess of Wales.